QTL cloning at the University of Minnesota

Co-PI: James Anderson

Ph.D. student: Max Fraser

Our group will work to characterize a QTL for kernel weight (h2=0.90) and kernel width (h2= 0.80) residing on chromosome 2A. This QTL was identified in a RIL population (139) developed from a cross of breeding lines MN98550-5 and MN99394-1 (Tsilo, et al., 2010). This QTL significantly increased thousand-kernel weight (LOD 4.60; R2=9.55) and kernel width (LOD 4.35; R2=8.95) in two environments. Lines with the beneficial allele exhibit an increase of 0.03 mm in kernel width and 1.02 g for thousand-seed weight.

Heterogenous inbred families will be developed from the aforementioned biparental population for fine mapping of the 2A QTL. We have already identified two F6:8 lines as heterozygous for the QTL region. Currently, these families are being self-pollinated to go into the field for phenotyping and genotyping.

Additionally, this population is segregating for the seed size QTL on 5BS and the spikelets per spike QTL on 7AL from the NY and CA programs, respectively. We are collaborating with both programs to investigate those QTL.